Published: Saturday, October 27, 2012 at 03:18 PM.

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NICEVILLE — Pat Hollarn said she remembers sitting at a red light with 10 cars in front of her. And she can even remember driving at about 43 mph as she reached the bridge on State Road 123.

After that, it’s all black.

She miraculously survived what came next, but the driver of the vehicle that struck her head-on did not.

“Some days for me are better than others. The accident is very, very painful emotionally,” Hollarn said as tears welled up in her eyes. “They didn’t think I was going to make it. I just escaped somehow.”

Hollarn's near-death experience on the six mile road that is frequently used as a shortcut between Crestview and Fort Walton Beach isn't an anomaly.

Six people have died in fatal wrecks on SR 123 and countless others have been injured in the nearly 60 accidents that have occurred on it in the last five years.

A known safety issue

Trooper Michael Collins rarely passes vehicles when he’s on SR 123. He’s seen too many wrecks and talked to too many grieving families to take the chance.

“Unless I have a real good reason I’m not passing anybody,” Collins said. “The problem on that road is when drivers are trying to pass as many vehicles as possible and their speed far exceeds the limit of 55 mph. I’ve clocked people going 90 mph.”

Lt. Kenneth Salter with FHP said there is a handful of troopers who make a point to monitor traffic on SR 123 to catch those speeding and slow down traffic before an accident happens.

The Florida Department of Transportation has also made several major changes to SR 123 and State Road 85 in an effort to decrease traffic back up and help make the roadway safer.

A southbound lane was added to SR 123 at its north end as well as a flyover ramp to get onto the roadway and new lighting. But officials say the actual roadway is not the cause of the wrecks.

“We’re doing everything we can, but what it comes down to is that drivers are responsible for their speed,” Salter said. “No amount of engineering is going to change the need for driver responsibility."

First on the scene

When the call comes out for a wreck on SR 123, Tony Lohrman knows he needs to prepare himself for the worst.

In the last two years alone, the assistant fire chief said his crews at Niceville Fire Department have responded to 18 wrecks on the three mile stretch of the roadway they cover. Eglin Air Force Base Fire Department handles the other half. During the worst crashes, they work together.

“The one thing we don’t ever do is get complacent,” Lohrman said. “You pretty much know wrecks on SR 123 are high speed and the majority of those wrecks are head-on collisions.”

When they arrive, the firefighters are responsible for everything from deciphering the degree of injuries suffered to deciding whether or not to call for more backup. They must also control the flow of traffic around a crash site.

Despite 26 years of experience, Lohrman said first responders can never completely brace themselves for the long- and short-term impact of crashes.

“You try preparing yourself mentally and when you’re dealing with it, adrenaline is flowing,” Lohrman said. “But a lot of times, once you get home, you start playing it back.

“You have visions of the patient and the trauma you’ve seen and it haunts you.”

Remembering those lost

Grace Papadopoulos’ life changed forever on Aug. 17. That was the day she got the news that her son Markos had been killed in a traffic crash on SR 123.

The worst part for the Crestview woman is that she never had a chance to tell her 17-year-old son goodbye.

“There wasn’t anything anyone could do and that was the hardest part to deal with,” Papadopoulos said.

According to reports, Markos was going southbound on SR 123 around 3:40 p.m. when his car veered onto the grass shoulder.

The Crestview High School senior tried to steer his car back onto the pavement, but lost control and crossed into the northbound lane in front of another vehicle.

Markos died at the scene despite efforts by strangers who witnessed the accident.

Today, a blue and white cross sits on the side of the road marking the place where Markos died and his mother hopes it gives people pause as they drive down the road.

“How many lives do we have to lose before they do something?” Papadopoulos said. “Look at traffic going through there. I don’t think the connector is going to fix it.

“I hope Markos’ death wakes up people.”

Moving forward

Pat Hollarn says a prayer each time she drives over the bridge where she almost lost her life. She doesn’t pray that her injuries will heal or that her fears will subside. She prays for the woman who didn’t survive that day.

“I try not to think about it, but I can never forget what happened,” Hollarn said. “I feel badly for the woman who hit me. She had two young boys and worked for the school district. She wasn’t drunk; she was just running late.”

Light rain was falling at 6 a.m. on Aug. 12, 2008 as Angela Cope rushed to get to work at Okaloosa Academy in Fort Walton Beach.

Her speeding vehicle hydroplaned on the wet pavement just as she reached the bridge. Before she could regain control, her vehicle slammed into Hollarn's.

Troopers would later tell Hollarn the two cars collided at 165 mph.

Her right side was completely shattered after the engine of her car was pushed into the driver’s seat. Hollarn also suffered bleeding in her brain, a concussion and several deep cuts.

It took Hollarn four days to wake up. On the fifth day, she took a turn for the worse.

By the time her injuries started healing, she had been in the intensive care unit for 58 days.

“I’m pretty much a survivor,” she said. “You know, for everything bad that’s happened some good has come out of it. Nothing is the end of the world anymore.”

But recovery has been slow both physically and emotionally.

In the beginning, she avoided taking SR 123. These days she drives on it, but hugs the right side of the road and constantly watching oncoming traffic, just in case.

NICEVILLE — Pat Hollarn said she remembers sitting at a red light with 10 cars in front of her. And she can even remember driving at about 43 mph as she reached the bridge on State Road 123.

After that, it’s all black.

She miraculously survived what came next, but the driver of the vehicle that struck her head-on did not.

“Some days for me are better than others. The accident is very, very painful emotionally,” Hollarn said as tears welled up in her eyes. “They didn’t think I was going to make it. I just escaped somehow.”

Hollarn's near-death experience on the six mile road that is frequently used as a shortcut between Crestview and Fort Walton Beach isn't an anomaly.

Six people have died in fatal wrecks on SR 123 and countless others have been injured in the nearly 60 accidents that have occurred on it in the last five years.

A known safety issue

Trooper Michael Collins rarely passes vehicles when he’s on SR 123. He’s seen too many wrecks and talked to too many grieving families to take the chance.

“Unless I have a real good reason I’m not passing anybody,” Collins said. “The problem on that road is when drivers are trying to pass as many vehicles as possible and their speed far exceeds the limit of 55 mph. I’ve clocked people going 90 mph.”

Lt. Kenneth Salter with FHP said there is a handful of troopers who make a point to monitor traffic on SR 123 to catch those speeding and slow down traffic before an accident happens.

The Florida Department of Transportation has also made several major changes to SR 123 and State Road 85 in an effort to decrease traffic back up and help make the roadway safer.

A southbound lane was added to SR 123 at its north end as well as a flyover ramp to get onto the roadway and new lighting. But officials say the actual roadway is not the cause of the wrecks.

“We’re doing everything we can, but what it comes down to is that drivers are responsible for their speed,” Salter said. “No amount of engineering is going to change the need for driver responsibility."

First on the scene

When the call comes out for a wreck on SR 123, Tony Lohrman knows he needs to prepare himself for the worst.

In the last two years alone, the assistant fire chief said his crews at Niceville Fire Department have responded to 18 wrecks on the three mile stretch of the roadway they cover. Eglin Air Force Base Fire Department handles the other half. During the worst crashes, they work together.

“The one thing we don’t ever do is get complacent,” Lohrman said. “You pretty much know wrecks on SR 123 are high speed and the majority of those wrecks are head-on collisions.”

When they arrive, the firefighters are responsible for everything from deciphering the degree of injuries suffered to deciding whether or not to call for more backup. They must also control the flow of traffic around a crash site.

Despite 26 years of experience, Lohrman said first responders can never completely brace themselves for the long- and short-term impact of crashes.

“You try preparing yourself mentally and when you’re dealing with it, adrenaline is flowing,” Lohrman said. “But a lot of times, once you get home, you start playing it back.

“You have visions of the patient and the trauma you’ve seen and it haunts you.”

Remembering those lost

Grace Papadopoulos’ life changed forever on Aug. 17. That was the day she got the news that her son Markos had been killed in a traffic crash on SR 123.

The worst part for the Crestview woman is that she never had a chance to tell her 17-year-old son goodbye.

“There wasn’t anything anyone could do and that was the hardest part to deal with,” Papadopoulos said.

According to reports, Markos was going southbound on SR 123 around 3:40 p.m. when his car veered onto the grass shoulder.

The Crestview High School senior tried to steer his car back onto the pavement, but lost control and crossed into the northbound lane in front of another vehicle.

Markos died at the scene despite efforts by strangers who witnessed the accident.

Today, a blue and white cross sits on the side of the road marking the place where Markos died and his mother hopes it gives people pause as they drive down the road.

“How many lives do we have to lose before they do something?” Papadopoulos said. “Look at traffic going through there. I don’t think the connector is going to fix it.

“I hope Markos’ death wakes up people.”

Moving forward

Pat Hollarn says a prayer each time she drives over the bridge where she almost lost her life. She doesn’t pray that her injuries will heal or that her fears will subside. She prays for the woman who didn’t survive that day.

“I try not to think about it, but I can never forget what happened,” Hollarn said. “I feel badly for the woman who hit me. She had two young boys and worked for the school district. She wasn’t drunk; she was just running late.”

Light rain was falling at 6 a.m. on Aug. 12, 2008 as Angela Cope rushed to get to work at Okaloosa Academy in Fort Walton Beach.

Her speeding vehicle hydroplaned on the wet pavement just as she reached the bridge. Before she could regain control, her vehicle slammed into Hollarn's.

Troopers would later tell Hollarn the two cars collided at 165 mph.

Her right side was completely shattered after the engine of her car was pushed into the driver’s seat. Hollarn also suffered bleeding in her brain, a concussion and several deep cuts.

It took Hollarn four days to wake up. On the fifth day, she took a turn for the worse.

By the time her injuries started healing, she had been in the intensive care unit for 58 days.

“I’m pretty much a survivor,” she said. “You know, for everything bad that’s happened some good has come out of it. Nothing is the end of the world anymore.”

But recovery has been slow both physically and emotionally.

In the beginning, she avoided taking SR 123. These days she drives on it, but hugs the right side of the road and constantly watching oncoming traffic, just in case.